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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

**UPDATE: A few commenters noted that they had issues with the cookies spreading a bit more than what was depicted in the photos. A few also mentioned that the cookies were a bit on the salty side. I've revisited this recipe as of tonight, 11/12/2012, and have posted a new and improved version that gives you the soft, chewy cookies you're seeing in the photos. A little more cake flour and corn starch, and a little less salt fixed the issue. Thank you so, so much for your patience :)

This past weekend the hubby and I went to eat Sunday lunch with my family. My mom and sister were in charge of the salad and lasagna (both were amazing by the way) so that left the dessert to me. I always love whipping up anything with sugar, so this was fine with me :)

I had originally planned on taking Irish Car Bomb Brownies, but those were a HUGE flop (I'll share more about that later this week). So I was back to square one. I didn't want anything super heavy since we were already eating lasagna, and I thought about doing a cookie since I haven't blogged many such recipes.

I feel like the sugar cookie is something that, for the most part, everyone loves. Some people have different aversions when it comes to things like oatmeal raisin (raisins? ew!) or chocolate chip (some like thick and fluffy, others like thin and "greasy"), but no one can really complain when it comes to good 'ole plain sugar cookies.

I like my sugar cookies thick, fluffy, chewy and soft. Cornstarch is an ingredient that keeps baked goods from spreading, so I knew I wanted to add some into this recipe to keep the cookies from getting too flat. I played around with the proportions and ingredients (using both cake flour and all purpose) and settled on the recipe below.

I love me some almond flavoring, but you could definitely flavor these to your liking. I love the twist that almond extract gives these cookies, but using another extract won't affect the texture of the cookie.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but these are the best sugar cookies I've ever had. No lie. I made them pretty small, but I'm sure you could make them larger if you were willing to adjust the baking time.

Roll 2 tsp of dough (I used a small cookie scoop to make things easier) into a ball and roll in raw sugar. Place on prepared pan.

Bake cookies for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press the tops of the cookies flat with the back of a spoon while they are still warm and pliable. (The cornstarch keeps them from spreading so they will be mounded up).

Return bowl of dough to fridge in between baking batches.

Remove to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

A tip:
~DO NOT bake longer than 7-8 minutes!! They may seem under-baked, but when they cool they will firm up.

Hhhhm....to be honest I'm not sure, as I've never tried it. Usually butter and shortening just produce a different flavor (as they are both used as the token "fat" in a recipe). You could certainly try using all butter.

I have made these twice--the first time I substituted both the butter AND the shortening for all coconut oil. The second time I substituted just the shortening for coconut oil. Both times they were amazing and everybody who tried them asked for the recipe! I was happy to give them this url. :)

Butter has more water and a lower melting temperature than shortening, which has more fat than water and a higher melting temperature.

Cookies made with all butter will spread a little more and thus require more flour than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with butter also make browner cookies in comparison to those made with shortening.

Have you noticed that wedding cake recipes always include shortening and no butter? That's how they turn out with such a pristine white color.

Yes! And I love it. The gluten content is lower in White Lilly, so it more like a mixture of all purpose and cake flour. Growing up in GA that's all I've ever used and I never knew this about it until I started reading around on food blogs. I've my fav :)

Do you bake in a convection oven? I made these, and while I originally baked for 8 minutes as directed, after they cooled a bit I cut one in half and decided to end up adding an extra 4 minutes, and they came out perfectly. I was wondering if a different oven type may have accounted for the additional time? (I've got an oven thermometer in my oven so I know it was right at 350...) By the way - the texture, softness and flavor is amazing!

Hhhmm, no I used a regular oven with the traditional temperature settings. Have you ever checked the accuracy of your oven's temp? You can buy one of those small portable temp readers and test it. I've done that before and have sometimes found that the tempt reading on my oven is off by as much as 40 degrees. Yikes!

Definitely not saying yours if off, but it is that might account for the additional baking time you needed.

Made them today, and I am taking them to a Memorial Day cookout tomorrow! I am so excited for everyone to try them because I think they are DELICIOUS! I ran to the store to get the few ingredients I didn't already have, and I forgot shortening! So, I improvised with what I had...I used vegetable oil, and they turned out just fine! Thank you for the recipe!!

Unfortunately not :( Cake mix is going to have all sorts of other stuff (like rising agents) added in that will throw the recipe off. You can make your own cake flour though by removing 2 Tbsp of flour for every 1 C of flour a recipe calls for. Easy as pie! Er, cake.

Below is a post I did solely on cake flour that should answer any questions ~

I used a small cookie scoop (about the size of a melon baller) to make these little guys. There's a link below to the actual one I used and I think it says it holds 2 teaspoons. You could always make them bigger though :)

I posted earlier but want to give you an update. I froze about 1/3 of the dough (BTW, to answer "anonymous", the whole recipe makes about 3 dozen) and, after thawing it completely, I baked some more this weekend. I didn't remember the baking instructions so pressed them flat before baking and baked them about 11 minutes. They turned out equally delicious but like a different cookie. Instead of being soft and chewy in the middle, they made the most incredible delicate, crispy cookie! So, 2 excellent recipes in one!

yikes! I've made this several times and one time that did actually happen to me. I added a little more flour, a tad bit more cornstarch (thick 1-2 additional teaspoons) and then I chilled the dough and it fixed the issue. You can chill it in the fridge for 1 hour or put it in the freezer for a bit to speed up the process.

I figured I must have not measured correctly, but every other time they turned out great for me. Plus, chilling the dough will help them firm up and not spread so much.

Woo hoo! I just pulled the first batch out of the oven after adding a bit more cornstarch and they turned out like the ones on your page! I let the batter chill for a bit before scooping and did not touch the batter AT ALL--scooped with a chilled scooper, used tongs to roll in sugar... Yes--I was willing to go to extremes for these cookies!

I missed that part, mine came out quite salty, it would probably be perfect with unsalted instead of regular butter. They didn't quite hold their shape, but even so, the texture is to die for, they literally melt in your mouth! Thanks for posting this!

Actually I've just found a decent fix for oversalting, lemon juice works WONDERS, the almond taste is a little less pronounced but it tones down the salt by a lot. They still have their fluffy texture too! The shape was still a little melty after chilling the dough, but the shape is probably the least important part of a cookie IMO :) They just look so perfect in the picture!

Hi there! So sorry for not specifying. This can mean greasing a pan, lining it with parchment paper or using a silicone baking mat. Any of those methods would keep your baked goods from sticking to the pan.

Just made these cookies and they definitely need to be baked longer than 8 minutes! I just had my oven calibrated by the manufacturer's rep, so know it's dead on. I made them exactly as the recipe specified, and next time, I would use... more flour and corn starch, a bit more almond flavoring, less salt, and would bake them 4-5 minutes longer. They were gooey and didn't hold their shape at all.

I made these on a hot hot day, my dough was wetter and they came out a little flatter than your pictures but were amazingly delish! I made them for friends and family -- everyone raved! I will make them again for sure, thank you for sharing!

I've had a few people mention that their dough wasn't quite as firm, so I think I might try the recipe again myself and see if it turns out any different for me the second time around. If so, I might revise it.

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback...it helps tremendously! So glad you liked them :)

Thanks for the recipe! I just made them and they are amazing. I just used what I had in the pantry so I made some subs - egg replacer for the eggs, coconut oil for the shortening, no cake flour so I used 1/4 cup less as someone suggested. I was worried that I made too many substitutions but no! They are light, soft, and perfect. They held their shape. I especially enjoyed flattening them for some reason.

Thank you for sharing this. They were fantastic! Subbed butter for shortening. Huge hit with The family, and the texture was unbelievable. This recipe has taught me some new things about baking cookies. Thanks again!

Yes! I gave some frozen dough to my sister and she just let it thaw before baking it. She said they turned out great. I would probably freeze them in pre-scooped balls so that they won't take so long to thaw out. Best of luck!!

I am so excited I found your recipe ! My older sister is pregnant & she called me two days ago to tell me she has a craving for almond cookies . She made sure to let me know she does NOT want store bought cookies . I'll be making these first thing in the morning !! :)

These are so good! I would probably cut the salt just a pinch next time. My dough never firmed up much, it was sticky. But I stuck it in the fridge for 30 min. It made it a little easier to handle. Sticky dough, firm dough..who cares!..these were amazing!

Could you be co nice and explain what does C in the 1 1/2 C white sugar stand for? Is it a cup?I am not familiar with American measurement system as in Poland we rather use kilograms and its fractions.BTW the cookies looks amazing. I must bake them this weekend.

Maybe your oven runs hotter - I had to bake these for an extra 5 minutes. At 8 minutes they were still completely raw. Start with 8 minutes and then watch until they just start to turn golden on the edges. That is the only sure way to come out with a perfect cookie every time until you know your oven/recipe relationship for sure.

hhhmmm I've never baked anything with almond flour, so I'm not sure I would be the best person to give out such advice. I did a quick google search though and there were a ton of results relating to substituting with almond flour. Check out some of the great articles online to give you a better idea of what to expect. So sorry I can't be more helpful :(

Hi there! So sorry for the late reply. I used granulated sugar. Several people have mentioned their's spread quite a bit, so I'm revisiting the recipe tonight....hopefully I'll have some insight to share!

Honestly I'm not sure I would have a good answer because we ate the entire batch within 12 hours :( whoops! I would say a few days in an airtight container. Some people keep baked goods for a really long time, but I find they taste best when they are fresh. Let me know if you find out otherwise with yours!

I think they would taste great, but I think this dough might be a nightmare to try to roll out, cut out and then transfer. Most roll out sugar cookie dough is much sturdier, while this dough is much softer (which gives you a softer cookie).

Made these Saturday night for 4 teenage boys(ages16-18). I doubled the recipe because they love my Spritz cookies soooooo much (cookie press).Should have hid a few. I got 75 cookies out of the double batch, 2 left in the morning ~ obviously the recipe turned out just perfect!!! I also bake all of my cookies on a stone, so I added a min or so to give the stone time to heat up. Prefect cookie, not one brown edge!!!! I am making a triple batch tomorrow. I'm scrapping the darn cookie press for these cookies this year, officially added to my holiday baking list:-))

Made them tonight for a Holiday cookie exchange and I can't wait for them to be the hit of the party! Followed the recipe exactly. Figured out through 4 dozen (!!!) that 7:45 min was perfect for my oven. YUM! My hubby kept eating all the poorly smooshed rejects and wouldn't stop raving :) (Made my own cake flour by subbing two TBSP of flour for cornstarch per cup & sift sift sift sift sift, and it turned out great!)

I'm going to bake these cookies today and thought I might add sliced almonds to the mix. I might roll the cookie in the almond or just place a few on top to get crispy and bake onto the cookie. I'll let you know how they turn out!

I made these cookies, today...and did just as your *revised* recipe said...exact measurements. They taste a little salty, so next round, I'll do 1/4 t. salt. Also, they seem a little flour-y...so maybe I'll cut back on the cake flour next time. I like 'em, though! Just gonna monkey with the recipe a little...and gonna try the lemon extract!

This has become my new favorite cookie recipe!!! Today I decided to try a variation for the holidays...instead of almond extract I used peppermint and then I rolled them in chocolate sprinkles! They ate pretty tasty too! Thanks for the great recipe!!!!

ANYTHING Almond I adore..... I just made them. Mine look a little greasy compared to your pictures. LOL... however, I rolled mine in some shimmery gold colored sugar.... if they taste anything like the dough, they'll be a HIT at Thanksgiving!!

HI - i came back to the site because i wanted to make these again and didnt print the recipe the last time. But i liked the original recipe, it was perfect and my family loved it. Any chance you can send that version to me? I recall it specifically said to cook no longer than 8 minutes. or could you post both versions ?

Honestly there are several ways you can prepare a baking sheet. Most people just spray a sheet with Pam or line the sheet with some parchment paper. Really anything that will keep the cookies from sticking.

My favorite thing to do is use a cookie sheet though. It keeps you from having to clean off any residue from the pan and it works like a charm every time :) Here's a link to the one I use. (You don't have to grease the cookie sheet since it's already non-stick!)

These look amazing and I'm hoping to make them tomorrow :) I was wondering, is cake flour a must? I live in Ireland and cake flour is hard to find - could I substitute regular flour? Would that ruin the consistency?

I've never made them without cake flour, so I can't say for sure whether or not it's a must. Cake flour is just going to give them a more tender texture. I did a post a while back on cake flour and how to make your own if you want to try that.....here's the link. Best of luck!

Hi. I was just wondering if you could do me a favour and measure your ingredients in pounds and ounces or better still grams. My cookies melted way too much, and I have no idea where to start adding or subtracting from your recipe to get it right. The dough tasted great by the way, and it was a big hit with my family, but the cookies will be going in the bin. :0( I am so keen to get it right because yours look sooooo lovely!

Uh oh! That's not good. I don't have all of the ingredients on hand to measure, but if your cookies are melting too much I'm guessing you mean they're spreading a lot?? If this is the case make sure you're using cold butter when you start. Most recipes call for softened butter, but that will make the cookies less firm from the get go even before you put them in the oven.

You can also place your dough in the fridge to firm up before baking them. If that doesn't work I would suggest adding a bit more flour and/or cornstarch. Adding more dry ingredients will make them firmer...although I might try this suggestion last because adding too many dry ingredients can make them, well, dry :)

Let me know if you give these another go-round and I'll post the ingredients in grams sometime soon when I get the chance!

Thanks for replying. I was extra careful this time and measured everything with my Australian measuring cups and left the dough overnight in the fridge and hey presto, it worked! I think I must have gotten the ingredients a little bit wrong in the first batch. They are perfect so don't change a thing in your recipe. My husband literally inhaled this batch. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes.

I've never tried it....you could, but the texture won't be the same I'm afraid. I used shortening since it has a much higher melting point than butter which means the cookies will hold their shape better than if they were made with all butter. They would probably taste great, they will just spread more and won't be as thick.

If you do use all butter I would definitely recommend chilling the dough for double the amount of time before baking them.

So sorry I'm not more help! Let me know if you make a version with butter only and how they turn out!

Just made this recipe:(a) they are completely delicious by following the recipe exactly as written now, (b) the crunch from the raw sugar coupled with the fluffy/chewy inside is fantastic, and (c) using a melon baller-sized cookie scoop flattened off at the top, I got exactly 50 smallish, three-bite cookies, along with 3-4 bites of dough. Thanks for the recipe.

Hi Morgan, just made over 100+ cookies with only 2 batches and the new recipe is just perfect!!! It did not spread at all perfectly salted, and looks identical to your photos. I do recommend that people do put the dough in the fridge for about 30 mins, even put it in the freezer, this will be such a hit tomorrow at my cookie swap! Thanks for this recipe, such a great keeper!!! ~Billie

Based on feedback from other posters I would say each batch makes about 50 cookies if you're making them the same (small) size I did with my mini scoop. So I probably would go with 3 batches just to be safe.

I made peppermint blossoms with these last night. I substituted the almond extract for vanilla, rolled them in red sugar, and then right after baking I put candy cane Hershey's Kisses right in the middle. They were SOOOOO GOOD!

I made these last night and they were delicious! I live at 6300 feet and didn't need to make any changes to adjust for altitude (it's usually cakes that need adjusting, not cookies). Also, I didn't have unsalted butter so I used salted butter but omitted all the salt. I think that works just fine. The only adjustment was the baking time. They were not done in 7 minutes and didn't firm up enough to be considered "cooked." 10 minutes was just about right. Thanks for the recipe - these are great and I love anything with almond flavor!

Just made these and they are wonderful! I used coconut oil instead of shortening and they turned out great, they flattened out perfectly on there own as a result of the substitution. The only other change was the backing time. I also found they needed closer to 10 mins in order to be done, the ones I took out at 7 mins never firmed up enough.

YIKES! You changed the recipe! Is the other recipe still available? I used to make these the other way and they turned out perfect every single time. I wish I would have printed out the old recipe. I am making these now and they just don't seem the same :(

I made these cookies this evening with my daughters and YUMMO! And I have to say that my taste testers are all in agreement. Although my dough seemed to be a bit more sticking and soft then your pictures I had no problem with the recipe and they turned out wonderful and better then expected :) I will definitely be making these again, over and over!!!!!!

Thank you for sharing this recipe, Morgan. I found it via Pinterest and just made these last night. They are so delicious! I was planning to bring them in to work tomorrow, but I'm not sure they will make it that long! I also read your "about me" section and I just wanted to say thanks for being so open. It was courageous of you to be open about your past. I have added your blog to my list of sites I regularly visit.

Morgan - first let me say that you have the patience of a saint...answering the same questions over & over. More importantly, I made these yesterday for my birthday despite not being a sugar cookie person (I prefer my deserts more decadent). I have to say they are pretty delicious. I also subsituted coconut oil for shortening, used emulsion instead of extract, made some frosting, and made half of them lemon. I am hooked! Baked some for 8 min, next batch at 9, and also some for 10....all taste great. I use an insulated pan though so its hard to predict. Can't wait to make some more and maybe top with dried coconut over the frosting or use vanilla bean paste in the batter. FUN possibilities!

I agree with the recent comments. The old recipe was so so much better..didn't you smoosh them down like half way through? My first two sheets came out doughy before I realized I wasn't cooking them long enough :/

I found your recipe on Daydream Kitchen which deceptively states that it is written 'by' Daydream Kitchen with just a tiny link to you. I'm guessing they took your recipe and your photos without your permission. They pinned it on Pinterest and all the traffic they get goes to them, not you. As a fellow food blogger, I am tired of this thievery and I hope you'll be able to do something about it if you haven't given them permission to nick your content word for word.

Cheers.

Link: http://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/09/soft-almond-sugar-cookies/#comment-2591Link to their site on Facebook where someone asks them about the recipe: http://www.facebook.com/daydreamkitchen/posts/429286470459752

Oh, these are wonderful cookies -I am in love with them! They are so crispy and delicate that they are almost meringue-like. I used regular flour (but it was White Lily) minus 1/4 cup. I also used margarine instead of shortening as that is all I had. I will be making lots more of these for Christmas and year-round. Thank you for this amazing cookie recipe!

I love sugar cookies. A friend just made these for me and I am ashamed to say that I ate them all in 3 days...by myself...no sharing with my family. So now I feel like I should make some for them. Have you ever made them as cut out cookies? Would you change anything?

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This blog is just a fun place for me to come share my adventures in the kitchen. Hopefully you will enjoy my sharing of triumphs (and failures) and will be inspired to concoct a few confections of your own!